


You say your mind is damaged goods You might be damaged but you're so good

by Eliana_debrey



Series: challenges and events [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Grief/Mourning, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29344998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eliana_debrey/pseuds/Eliana_debrey
Summary: “Not leaving,” Jason promises. “Cross my heart and hope do die.”
Relationships: Batfamily Members & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Series: challenges and events [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2055321
Comments: 20
Kudos: 111
Collections: DickJay Week 2021





	You say your mind is damaged goods You might be damaged but you're so good

**Author's Note:**

> Hey,  
> Hope you're all okay! Here is the day 3 of DickJay week!  
> Byyye
> 
> the prompt was reverse Robins
> 
> (some change with the numbers at the beginning Jason is 12 and he is 16 when... you know boom... and Dick is 10 and 14 as for the others hmm... feel free to choose)

Jason goes to the circus with Bruce, it's his birthday present from two months ago. It was supposed to be his night, they buy cotton candy and talk to the performers before the beginning. It’s just Bruce and him and he is happy.

He can still hear the loud noise of bones snapping when Mary and John fall right before the eyes of their son. Bruce moves fast, he is already in the crowd moving far away from Jason. Jason tries to call him, his name on his lips, he sees his father disappear far away.

Jason is Robin, he knows how to keep calm, it’s just… crowded place, you know... they get to him. Still, he dives in looking for expensive Italian shoes. He stops when he sees the blood, Jason has seen death from very close, he is used to it, but he looks away. He doesn’t want to remember the two Graysons like this, broken puppet, arms and legs bent weirdly, flat skulls because of the impact. He doesn’t want it.

When he finally looks up, Jason sees the small boy that was flying tonight. He is running to see his parents. Jason doesn’t think, he tackles the boy to the ground, hides the crying eyes in his jacket. No one should see their mom’s body, no one should wake up and find the cold corps next to them, if Jason can make sure he stays the only one of them he will.

The boy grabs him, he’s got powerful hands but he isn’t trying to push Jason away, he is gripping him like his lifeline. The hiccups rattle his small body so much he shakes Jason with him. One of the performers tries to untangle them but the poor boy doesn’t let go.

“Hey buddy, do you think we can sit up?” the small hands tighten on his coat and then slowly let go. “Good, can you tell me your name?” Jason says sitting and rearranging the boy in his laps.

“Dick,” the little boy whispers.

“I’m Jason, it’s going to be alright, buddy. Everything is going to be alright, trust me,” Jason promises, caressing Dick’s hair. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“My mom, my mama she…” Dick cries softly.

“Shhh, it’s alright, it’s alright.”

Bruce finds them a few minutes later, he has been talking with Gordon, Jason can see on his dad’s face that something is wrong. He watches careful Bruce kneeling in front of them, he’s got blood on his sleeves, he shakes his head when he catches Jason’s stare.

“Hey, Richard, son,” Dick flinches between Jason’s arms.

“It’s my old man, Dick. He is going to help you, trust me alright?”

“You’re staying with me, okay?” the kid whispers.

“Not leaving,” Jason promises. “Cross my heart and hope do die.”

Jason doesn’t even think about letting Dick go, he practically bullies Bruce to take the young kid with them. Dick move in the manor barely a week after his parents' funeral. He is glued to Jason from day one and doesn’t let the older boy out of his sight.

Damian is soft with the small boy, just like Duke, they play with him when Jason has to do his homework but the boy can’t look them in the eyes. Even at dinner, he whispers to Jason to ask for something.

Jason likes it, it annoys him sometimes, he’d like to be alone, but Dick stays quiet when he wants to, and Dick gives the best hugs. He lies next to Jason when the boy is reading in his bedroom, lets Jason caress his hair mindlessly. Dick squeezes his little plushie and buries himself in Jason’s side. He falls asleep every night like that, after the first time and the panic attack when Bruce carried him back to his bed and Dick woke up alone, no one dared to move him again. They bought a bigger bed for Jason.

But Jason breaks his promise.

Dick stops talking the day Bruce comes back from Qurac. Spends his night sitting in front of Blujay’s uniform, Alfred did his best but the tears are still here, and the blood left dark spots.

The young boy knows Bruce tries his best, but he can hear the man crying in his office when he thinks no one is around. The manor is darker, even Stephanie’s laugh sounds forced. Alfred looks at Jason’s chair absently, sometimes Dick catches the old butler taking two teacups out of the cupboard and freezing. Alfred sits, head in his hands, and doesn’t move when it happens. Tim doesn’t stay around, he gets busy with the Titans, seems to believe the less time he has to think the better. Cassandra has the habit to disappear mid-patrol only to be found sitting next to a gargoyle, two cold chili-dogs in her hands. Duke hangs out with Dick, they eat together from time to time, but Dick knows he took it hard, losing family again because of Joker brings back nightmares.

August is gloomy no matter how sunny it is outside, the brand new car stays hidden in the back of the garage. Sometimes Dick sits in its passenger seat, he imagines going full speed a familiar laugh in his ears, he isn’t even sure he remembers Jason’s voice correctly.

It takes a year for people to stop going quiet every time someone mentions him, the first gala was awful. Damian left the manor barely an hour after the beginning, he came back in the morning with a dozen new scars, he got a lot more after Jason's death. But slowly people start living again, Duke makes Bruce laugh and Dick realizes he had almost forgotten the sound.

Three years. Three years with no sound coming from Dick’s mouth. Three years grieving the boy who saved him that night. Three years and Dick can still remember the jump Red Hood just performed in front of him. It’s natural, they come to him, they run out of his mouth like he can never say them fast enough.

“Jason,” Dick whispers. His throat is dry, his voice is barely audible. “Jason,” he says louder. Someone gasps in his earpiece. “Jason,” Dick screams, and here, finally Red Hood stops.

Red Hood watches him, he takes off his helmet. Dick is running, he goes for the jump but his legs are weak after his fight with the hooded criminal, they don’t push him far enough. He’s not going to make it, he doesn’t even reach the side of the building. For a split-second, Dick wonders if that is how he is going to die, falling. The last of the Graysons.

Two gloved hands grab his forearms, Dick stares right into the white lenses. Red Hood is breathing fast, he looks furious, he pulls Dick over the edge of the building to safety.

“Are you mad?” he screams. “Are you seriously mad? You could have died.”

“It’s you, it’s really you,” Dick rasps. “You came back, you came back,” Dick is gripping the leather jacket so hard he hears it cracking under his fingers.

“You need to let me go. I have to leave. Kid.”

“No,” Dick roars. “You promised, ‘cross my heart and hope to die’, you swore. You swore Jason, you can’t leave again,” Dick keeps going, frantic.

“Dick, he is coming you need to let me go. I need to leave.”

“No, I’ll stop you.”

“You couldn’t even make the jump.”

“You can’t leave, you swore,” Jason lets himself fall to the ground, he sighs.

“You can’t use that against me. I didn’t choose to leave,” his voice is breaking.

“You promised.”


End file.
